My first thought was Austin, TX, but I don’t know anything about living there other than it’s “urban” and a warm, fun, interesting, liberal, college town.
My inlaws moved from California to “Suncity” in South Carlolina. It is near the NC/SC border in Fort Lee. I’ve never heard of suncity before but it’s an active adult community and it’s pretty cool from what I’ve seen. They’ve got swimming pools, golf and alot of other club activities. The homes are pretty large for what you get considering LA home prices.
cherry, that town is actually Fort Mill. No George Washington Bridge in sight… 
Thank you for saying that, Bettie, although of course I’m sorry you had the same experience. As I said we’ve lived in a lot of different places but I’ve never encountered such rudeness and small mindedness as I did in SC. It came as a complete shock to us. There was just no valid reason for it.
I posted my own experiences, and you can see the nastiness of the responses from the southerners.
It gets hot and humid. We have “wet heat” as opposed to the “dry heat” that’s supposedly out west. In the summer, it’s in the low to mid 90’s most days, with a heat index around 100 or so. We get even hotter. This past summer, we had a period of 12 straight days with the auctual temp over 100, with it reaching 108 I believe one day, but year before that it only reached 100 once, so it varies a bit. You get used to it. It must not bother most people, because a majority of the transplants are retirees from the Northeast.
Again, it must not be too bad. There have been increasing numbers of Northerners moving in year after year. I have lived in this area for all but two of my 31 years, and I don’t see the negativity most people seem to think all Southerners have. I don’t have stats, but in the city of Aiken, there are probably less natives than transplants now. Also, I second the low property taxes. I read a story in the paper yesterday that taxes on a $250,000 home only run a little over $2,000 per annum. There have been stories in the paper about how this area’s homes are actually undervalued, and that the recent housing market crunch has had little to no effect at all on the market here. The homes run the gamut from small cottages to mansions in the gated communities to $3 million horse farms.
Perhaps this is why you were rudely called a Yankee … and not the other way 'round. Southerners are kind and welcoming to people who deserve it.
Also to note, a couple of the “rude” comments about SC have been about the northern section around Charlotte, which is quite a bit faster-paced and more culturally-deversed than Aiken. Charlotte is a fairly big city, the largest city in the Southeast located inbetween Atlanta and D.C. In my own experience, there is a noticible difference between Aiken and Charlotte. Keep in mind, the OP was asking about Aiken for the most part, which is a small town, located within a medium-sized metro area. It is not a fast-paced big city. Most people here are kind. They let you out in traffic (which is minimal, by the way,) and say “please” and “thank you.” The most northern city I have been to is Norfolk, and trust me, I can tell a HUGE difference in the attitudes. You can’t tell me SC has the rudest people you have encountered.
I don’t know about Aiken, but you may want to consider the Rock Hill/Fort Mill area if you’re set on South Carolina. You’d be right outside of Charlotte.
Starbucks - Check (It’d be harder to find a place without a Starbucks.) Just over the State Line on US 521, there’s a Dilworth’s Coffee, which is even better, IMO.
B&N - There’s one at the Carolina Place Mall, which is right up the road. There are also plenty of Borders, too.
Whole Foods - Not yet, but there’s an Earth Fare up 521.
Trader Joe’s - Again - just up 521 and over a couple of miles.
Downsides - I don’t think there would be too many Liberal Thinkers[sup]TM[/sup], but the area is growing more moderate as more transplants arrive. You would also have to be used to driving. Charlotte did just get a light rail train, but most of what you’d want is only available by driving.
I second Bearflag’s suggestion to look into Austin if you’re looking for something warm, liberal, and less expensive than LA.
<hijack>Hey Maus, any interest in a Charlotte-area Dope Fest?</hijack>
<continuing hijack>Sure - I couldn’t make the Raleigh one a few months back.</continuing hijack>
<totally different hijack>I didn’t realize you were in Charlotte - Heck from you description upthread, you sound like you’re right in my neck of the woods. For some reason, I thought you were in the Atlanta area.</totally different hijack>
Speaking as an actual native southerner in Charlotte (a very rare breed), I am very welcoming of transplants. Heck, I married one. However, I do get pissed off when people move down here, and then complain about how it’s different than up north. Of course it’s different. It’s a different part of the country. Sheesh.
That and the occasional remark about “ignorant southerners” really get my goat.
I’m a southerner, and I haven’t said anything nasy.
Cool. I’ll start a new thread to see who’s up for it. How does the weekend of February 2 look for you? I’m in Union County, by the way.
Um, some are for sure, but to deny that prejudice against northerners for no reason other than “you’re a Yankee and we don’t like yer kind!” doesn’t exist is ridiculous.
I walked into my job in NC (I was transferred and this was a major hospital) and was literally putting down my purse when the new boss walked up. I shook her hand and said hello. She eyed me suspiciously and said “So. You’re from NY, huh?” and I said yes (and emphasized not NYC, rural NY). She sneered at me and said “So, I guess you think you’re better than us huh? Smarter?”
I got that attitude from probably 80% of the people I met and dealt with. I am a nice person, a hard worker and not a nasty “OMG I miss New Yawk!” person. I never sat around pining for NY or talked about the north to southerners. I was still treated like shit by the vast majority of the people I personally came across.
Bear in mind, I was in a rural area of NC and worked in Charlotte. A lot of people in Charlotte itself were fine to me, the shopping is great and the weather was decent. It was just made very clear to me that I was not wanted or welcome there. I assure you that I did not bring it on myself.
I recently relocated from Atlanta to the rural Midwest. I get sort of the same treatment you describe. The South may or may not be more prejudicial to newcomers but it does not have a monopoly.
Naw, you’re not going to like it. Not many liberals. Now we got Democrats. Oh, boy, we got Democrats. We got 'em in. . . numbers.
Well that does sound bad. But there is a cultural difference that sometimes people from the North don’t see. Southerners sometimes view people from elsewhere as rude and stuck-up because they fail to fall all over themselves being nice to you. You keep to yourself in the South, you’re likely to be thought of as a snob.
Here’s turning the tables – I talk to people where ever I go, and they talk back. Grocery stores, departent stores, banks, whatever. Chit-chat with perfect strangers about whatever’s going on or whatever’s on my mind.
Now this kind of behavior has been greeted in the North with horrible haughty looks, suspicion and “are YOU talking to ME??” behavior that I found very rude. I don’t feel like I’m pesty or bothering people; hell, others frequently start up conversations with me and I think nothing of it.
So, while some of you have experienced some outright rude behavior when you move South, I’m merely suggesting that your unconscious behavior might be contributing.
Also, possessing the attitude that you’re living among horrible people shows, whether you know it or not.
Is there a similar Southern prejudice and attitude against Westerners and, in particluar, Californians?